Clinical-thermometer holder



J. T. GREELEY.

CLINICAL THERMOMETER HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG12T, 1920.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

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JAMES 'rrroRN'roN enEnLEY, or NASHUA, New HAMPSHIRE.

CLINICAL-THERMOMETER HOLDER.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES T. GREELEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at' able confining member, adapted to releasably mometer inserted in the casing, and a springk confine a thermometer in the casing, an annular valve seat within the casing, a valve formed to close on said seat to entrap a sterilizing liquid in the closed end portion of the casing, and also formed to engage and be moved toward the closed end by a therinterposed between the valve and the closed end of the casing, to hold the valve yieldingly against'the seat.

Heretofore the valve seat has been fixed within the casing, and the construction has been such that the operations of inserting` and changing the liquid and cleaning the interior of the casing, have` been attended with considerable diiiiculty.

The present invention has for its object to facilitate said operations, by providing a `valve seat, which is .removable endwise from the open end of the casing when the confining member is removed, thus permitting the removal of the valve and spring through said open end, leaving the casing vacant, and in condition to be conveniently emptied of liquid, cleansed and recharged.

The invention is embodied in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a thermometer-holder embodying the invention, and a side elevation of a thermometer inserted therein.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, the thermometer being removed.

Figure l3 is a view similar to Figure 2, the confining member at the open 'end of the casing being'` removed..

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb 14 1922 Application filed vAugust 27, 1920. Serial No. 406,358.

Figure f1 is a longitudinal section of the casing, the valve seat, valve and spring being removed.

Figure 5 is a side view of the outer end portion of the thermometer shown by Figure 1. i

Figure G is a fragmentary `.sectional view, showing a modification.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

My improved holder includes an elongated tubular casing, closed at one end and open at the opposite end, the casing being preferably composed of an inner tubular portion 12, of glass, and an outer tubular portion 13, of metal', projecting from the open end of the inner portion 12, and internally screwethreaded at 14. yllVith the said portion is engaged a confining member 15, which is preferably annular end provlded with an external thread engaging the internal thread 14e, and with an internal thread 16 (Figure 2), adapted to engage an external thread 17 on a clinical thermometer 18.

19 represents a removable inner tube hav` nig a sliding fit on the internal surface of the casing, and composed of suitable yielding or compressible material, such as relatively soft vulcanized rubber. The inner end of the tube 19 constitutes an annular valve seat 20. The outer end of the inner tube is releasably confined in the casing bv the confining member 15. u

21 represents an annular valve formed to close on the seat 2O to entrap liquid in the closed end portion of the casing. Said valve is also formed to engage the tip of the thermometer 18, the tip-engaging portion of the valve being preferably a cup 22, formed integral with the valve.

28 represents a spring interposed between the valve and the closed end of the easing, to hold the valve yieldingly against the seat 20.

The inner tube 19 is removable endwise from the casing, when the confining member 15 is removed, the removal of said member exposing the outer end of the tube, so that the. latter is free to be withdrawn from the casing.

To facilitate the withdrawal of the inner tube, I make the spring 23 sufficiently strong to partially project the inner tube from the casing, as shown by Figure 3, when the eonning member is removed, the outer end of the inner tube being thus held iu position to be readily grasped and withdrawn.

The Withdrawal of the inner tube permits ther Withdrawal ot the valve Q1, and the spring Q8, leaving the caeing vacant, as

Shown by Figure el. rlhe easing is thusl adapted to be Suiiiciently charged with. :t sterilizing liquid, and to be emptied ofV a previous charge, Which has become contaminated,and to be Conveniently cleansed when emptied.

The `confiningl member 15, when in place, confines the inner tube 19, as lshown by Figure 2, so that when the thermometer is removed, the valve 21 enti-aps the liquid in the inner end portion oi the easing. When the thermometer is insertadas shown by Figure l, Some of the liquid passee above the valve and contacts ivith the thermometer.

Figure 6 shows la confining member 15a, substitute for the member 15,l seid member 15a being Closed andadapted to bear'ou the Outer end of the thermometer 18, the latte-r having no external screw thread.

I claim: v

1. A `thermometer-holder comprising an elongated tubular easing, Closed at one end and provided at its opposite end ivitli a detachable confining meinbenadepted toreleasably confine an inner tube and a thermometer in the easing, a removable inner tube having an annular valve Seat, Said tube being a sliding lit in the casing 'and being releasably confined therein by Said member, a valve formed -toclose on saidv Sentito entra-p liquid in the closed end portion of the casing, and also formed to engage a thermometer inserted in the easing, and a spring interposed between the valveand the Closed end of the casing to hold the valve yieldingly against the sea-t, the inner tube being removable endWise from the casing when the confining member is removed.` ,Y

2. A thermometer casing substantially as Specified by Gleim 1, the force oit said spring being` suilieieut to partially project the said 

